A lil’ Cottage on English Creek

​Vintage shop owner, Mendy Michalec shows us around her home.

​Growing up in the 70’s, my childhood home in southern Indiana was filled with “harvest colors” as seen on Tupperware containers my mom had stuffed in her cabinets.  However, for years I admired white (all shades of white), so naturally when I built my first house in the 90’s I used white on everything.  Be that as it may, raising three kids with all white was not wise so I threw in the towel.

Fast-forward to being an empty nester with a new house built like a 1920’s craftsman style home, I was able to feed my inner spirit.  While the house was under construction, I was thrifting and forging for all things chippy.  I wanted anything that resembled my grandma’s old front porch swing.
​
My fireplace mantle was my first score.  It was taken out of an old home in Lakeland and had all of the bones and crackle that I was looking for and “she” sits proudly as one of my focal points in my living room.  

​You can not miss the primitive kitchen island as you enter the house.  I found it by sheer luck at a tractor show.  The man that sold it said it was a general store counter found in Wisconsin.  My husband disassembled it in order to build it up high enough to sit at and he added the gorgeous granite on top.  An old salvaged door from India became my pantry door.  We were able to retro-fit it to swing out to expose all of my canned goods and such.  And, Bella, my crowned resident deer head sits above it with all of  her bling and girl boss flare.

​Down the hall, my bedroom received some “chippy love” with huge closet barn doors salvaged from a barn in Alabama.  And, they expose just a tad bit of faded pink to blend with all of my whites.  My husband was able to save the original hardware which adds to the overall appearance.  Always “trust in the rust”.  
My massive bed took several guys to bring it into the house.  It was brought over from England and I painted it with antique white General Finishes and I distressed it.

​Being a “picker” of sorts, I like to scavenge for statement pieces to use for accents.  So, on one of my hunting trips at a flea market I discovered the most amazing column.  It was the perfect piece to put my boxwood on top of to liven up the living room.  You can never go wrong with natural elements to give a white room life.

Another piece I discovered was a weathered double washtub to use for my laundry room sink.  I have noticed many at flea markets, but this one was layered in whites and had a nice color.   Above it, I placed an antique cabinet to hold laundry room supplies and for décor I added an old laundry room sign taken out of a chalet. 

Owning a vintage store has allowed me to “take decorating back to my roots.” I am surrounded daily by all things vintage.  So, while decorating, stay true to you and follow your gut with all things you love. ​

We would like to thank Mendy Michalec for sharing her beautiful vintage inspired home with us and Geanie Folder for the wonderful pictures.    If you are looking to decorate your own home stop by The Vintage Warehouse at 4308 Wallace Road in Lakeland or in St. Augustine at 950 Anastasia Boulevard and tell them Vintage Finds Magazine sent you.

More photos...